Add DME at end of fermentation?

[HalfWit]

Hi peoples, I have a triple batch of Witbier in the fermenter. Unfortunately my gravity came up a bit short, thus increasing my IBU's to 25 instead of the planned 20 IBU. Fermentation is nearly over but I was thinking of adding some malt extract to the fermenter and watering the beer down at kegging. The grain bill is this but scaled up...
(2.0 kg) flaked wheat (1 °L)
(2.2 kg) Pilsner malt (1.6 °L)
(0.5 kg) flaked oats (1 °L)
(113 g) Munich malt (8 °L)

Thoughts?

 

[Aces High]

I personally dont think you'll notice the difference between 20 & 25 IBU's and you really cannot guarantee hop bitterness unless they're straight out of the testing lab, so I wouldn't get hung up on it.

dont change anything. Just keg and drink :beer:

 

[carniebrew]

I agree with Aces, but it is a triple batch so I can understand why you'd be keen to get it right. It's a lot of ingredients to lose if you don't. I've read plenty of info around the place about adding malt during or even post fermentation. Seems that boiling it up then cooling before adding is the way to go (basically making a mini-wort), rather than adding dry malt directly to your fermenter....which apparently can impart strong malt flavours.

Keep an eye on the gravity pre-add, post-add and over the coming days to make sure your yeast re-start their job.

 

[bum]

Is it tasting overly bitter?

Just trying to work out how much LDME you'd need to add to leave enough residual sweetness to counter 5 IBU. Might that extra alc and body throw it further away from your planned beer than the extra bitterness?

 

[HalfWit]

Thanks guys. I would definitely boil the DME before adding to kill any potential nasties.
I worked out I would need to add 600 grams of DME to balance things up. I cant imagine that making much of a differance th 11 KG of grain.

 

[bum]

How did you work it out?

Changing what the gravity would have been in the boil had those fermenatables been added isn't going to give you an accurate picture, IMO. You're dealing with residual sweetness now rather than AA isomerisation.

 

[HalfWit]

I'm at work and not privy to my copy of Beersmith but last night i add 600g of DME and increased the batch size in Beersmith and the IBU's came down. Am I not on the right track?

 

[bum]

You're not on the wrong track - adding some LDME will help for sure. I'm just not sure that the figure that Beersmith gives you here is the most accurate track in terms of getting a predictable result. That calculation takes a boil into account when it is working out IBU, right? So higher gravity means lower IBU for the same weight of hops in the boil.

As I say, the residual sweetness from the LDME will combat any excessive bitterness but how much to add? That's beyond my beer maths, Im'a afraid. Someone will know.